Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti presents a compelling study in system balance for Hitman 2. The measured frame rates reveal a configuration that scales predictably with resolution, but the performance ceiling varies dramatically depending on the graphics preset selected. This analysis breaks down the benchmark data to show where this combo excels, where it struggles, and what the numbers imply about the underlying hardware dynamics.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a significant and predictable drop in frame rates as resolution increases, but the magnitude of that drop is heavily influenced by the graphics settings. At the "Low" preset, the average FPS falls from 147.8 at 1920x1080 to 94.2 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 36.3%. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 46.7, which is a 68.4% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline at "Low" settings suggests that the system is becoming constrained by the GPU's rendering workload as pixel count increases, even with the reduced visual fidelity.

The "High" preset shows a similar trend but with a more pronounced relative drop. The average FPS goes from 82.3 at 1080p to 53.0 at 1440p, a 35.6% reduction, and then to 25.5 at 4K, a 69.0% decline from the 1080p figure. The "Ultra" preset is the most demanding, with scores of 58.2 at 1080p, 37.6 at 1440p, and 21.9 at 4K. This indicates that at "Ultra," the RTX 3060 Ti is consistently the limiting component, as the total frame output is practically halved when moving from 1080p to 4K, a sign of the GPU's 8 GB memory and 256-bit bus being saturated by the high-resolution textures and effects.

The scaling pattern suggests a system that is well-balanced at 1440p for medium settings but becomes GPU-bound at higher resolutions or quality presets. The fact that the 1080p "Low" setting achieves 147.8 FPS indicates that the i5-9400's six cores and six threads are not a bottleneck at that level, allowing the GPU to stretch its legs. However, the sharp drop to 46.7 FPS at 4K "Low" points to a hard limit imposed by the graphics card's raw throughput, rather than the CPU's processing power.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Hitman 2 with this combo for a high refresh rate experience?*

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo consistently exceeds 58 FPS on all presets. At "Low" settings, it reaches 147.8 FPS, and even at "High" it maintains 82.3 FPS, making 1080p the clear choice for smooth gameplay on a high-refresh monitor.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Hitman 2?*

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. The average FPS at 3840x2160 ranges from 21.9 on "Ultra" to 46.7 on "Low." This indicates 4K is only playable if you are willing to use the "Low" preset, as "Medium" (37.1 FPS) and "High" (25.5 FPS) fall below the 30 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for playability.

Q: How does the RTX 3060 Ti's performance compare to its closest rivals in this context?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 25120, which places it slightly below the AMD Radeon RX 6700M (25180), the AMD Radeon RX 6600 (25235), and the AMD Radeon 890M (25246). This marginal difference of -0.2% to -0.5% suggests that the RTX 3060 Ti is effectively on par with these cards in synthetic tests, though in-game performance can vary.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for the RTX 3060 Ti in this game?

A: The benchmark results do not indicate a significant CPU bottleneck. The 1080p "Low" setting reaches 147.8 FPS, which is a high frame rate that would stress a weak processor. Since the CPU's average benchmark score is 2305, and it ranks at the 50th percentile, it appears capable of feeding the GPU adequately at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the most demanding preset for this hardware?

A: The "Ultra" preset is the most demanding, yielding the lowest average FPS at every resolution. At 4K, it produces 21.9 FPS, at 1440p it produces 37.6 FPS, and at 1080p it produces 58.2 FPS. This preset likely enables all visual effects, placing the heaviest load on the GPU.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average score of 2305, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i3-10305 (2300) and the Intel Core i3-1125G4 (2299), and 0.4% higher than the Intel Xeon E-2134 (2295). It scores 0.6% lower than the Intel Core i7-8809G (2319), showing it is competitively positioned in its performance tier.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Hitman 2, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti ranks at 1323 out of 1795 total combos. This places it in the lower third of all tested systems, which is surprising given the individual components' mid-range status. The rank suggests that while the hardware is capable, it does not produce top-tier frame rates in this specific title when compared to other configurations that may feature more powerful CPUs or GPUs.

The 1323rd position implies that many other combos achieve higher average frame rates across the tested settings. This is likely due to the i5-9400's six-core, six-thread configuration, which, while adequate, may limit performance in a game that can utilize more threads. The data shows this is not a top-performing combo, but it is far from the bottom, indicating a functional, if not spectacular, gaming experience. The rank of 1323 out of 1795 is a clear indicator that for Hitman 2, this hardware setup is a mid-tier performer, with room for improvement if a more powerful CPU were paired with the same GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset provides a detailed look at performance across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 147.8 on "Low" to 58.2 on "Ultra," with "Medium" at 111 and "High" at 82.3. This shows a clear and consistent decline as the visual quality increases, with "Ultra" being the only preset that dips below the 60 FPS mark.

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers scale down across the board. The "Low" preset averages 94.2 FPS, "Medium" averages 67.7 FPS, "High" averages 53.0 FPS, and "Ultra" averages 37.6 FPS. This resolution appears to be the sweet spot for the combo, as "Medium" and "Low" both provide playable frame rates that are above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. The "Low" preset is the only playable option at 46.7 FPS, while "Medium" (37.1), "High" (25.5), and "Ultra" (21.9) all fall below the 30 FPS threshold. This data clearly indicates that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this combo unless you are willing to sacrifice almost all visual fidelity.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the primary driver of performance in this configuration, and the data shows its capabilities and limits. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, the card has a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the sharp drop in FPS at 4K suggests that the 8 GB capacity and bandwidth are being taxed heavily by Hitman 2's high-resolution assets.

The GPU's boost clock of 1665 MHz and its 4864 shading units provide the raw compute power necessary for the higher presets. The benchmark scores show the card is positioned at the 69th percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 25120. This is a solid mid-range performer, but it is not a high-end card. The measured frame rates reflect this, as it can handle 1080p "Ultra" at 58.2 FPS but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K on anything above "Low" settings. The card's 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is a key factor in its 4K performance, as the frame rate drops by over 50% when moving from 1440p to 4K on most presets.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience for this combo depends heavily on the user's resolution preference. For a 1920x1080 display, the "High" preset offers an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, delivering 82.3 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS target and provides a smooth, immersive experience. If a higher refresh rate is desired, the "Medium" preset at 111 FPS is also a strong choice, sacrificing some visual detail for a significant frame rate boost.

For 2560x1440, the "Medium" preset is recommended, as it achieves 67.7 FPS and remains above the 60 FPS threshold. The "High" preset at 53.0 FPS is also playable, but it dips below the ideal smoothness mark. The "Ultra" preset at 37.6 FPS is not recommended for this resolution due to its lower frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the "Low" preset is the only viable option, yielding 46.7 FPS. While this is playable, it requires a significant reduction in visual fidelity. Users with 4K displays should consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better experience, as the data shows a dramatic improvement in both visual quality and frame rate at that resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400, with its six cores and six threads, provides the foundational processing power for this combo. Running at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, the CPU is capable of handling the game's logic and AI. The benchmark results show it is a mid-tier processor, ranking at the 50th percentile among all CPUs with an average score of 2305.

In this specific game, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU, as the frame rates scale more dramatically with resolution changes than with CPU-intensive settings. The fact that the 1080p "Low" preset reaches 147.8 FPS suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions. However, the combo's overall rank of 1323 out of 1795 suggests that the CPU may be limiting performance in some scenarios, particularly when compared to combos with higher-core-count processors.

The Coffee Lake architecture's 14 nm process node and 9 MB of shared L3 cache are adequate for the game, but the lack of hyper-threading means the CPU must rely on its six physical cores alone. This could be a limiting factor in scenes with many AI characters or complex physics calculations, but the measured data does not show a clear CPU bottleneck at any specific resolution or preset. The CPU's performance is adequate for the task, but it is not exceptional, positioning it as a capable but unremarkable partner for the RTX 3060 Ti.